Mind Health, Body Health, Placebo Effect, Expectations

I imagine this entry is some continuation of my last post. I am absolutely convinced there is actually quite a bit of crossover between how one feels mentally and that can influence physical health and well being. Likewise I am convinced there is a crossover in how one’s physical health and influence mental health and stability. About the only real ‘scientific’ evidence I can truly point to support my convictions are ‘placebo’ effects. In some medical studies where the patients, and sometimes even the primary doctors, believed that they were getting real medications but were in fact actually getting pills that actually had no real medication. Many of the results of these tests found that the patients who received the placebo, or inert, pills often did just as well as the patients who were taking the real medications.

I will state up front, I am not a doctor. I am by no means suggesting that anyone, mental illness or no, should go off any medications without a doctor’s supervision. I am not qualified to treat, diagnose, etc. anyone. I have issues even with my own problems and life.

What I am getting at is that sometimes something, whether it be a treatment, medication, set of beliefs, set of actions, etc. works for us as individuals because we believe they were work and we want them to work. I suppose it’s sort of like if someone thinks they do well at a job because they look and act the part, then that is true for that person. I would even venture to say this applies to even basic human emotions, such as love and anger. If you think you are in love, or angry, with someone, then you are. I guess that if you think something works for you, then maybe it does for you. Some of the wisest ideas I ever came across can be expressed by this short statement, “I think, therefore I am.”

Think about this for awhile. If you, or someone you know, are always complaining about things that you either have or control over or won’t do anything to change, why should you expect to have any happiness at all? I’ve heard many philosophers, gurus, experts in many fields, etc. state that what a person thinks about will come about. That’s only part of the equation. What is really should read is something like, “What a person thinks about and acts about will come about.” I suppose the phrase “I think, therefore I am” should be coupled with “By their deeds you will know them.”

I didn’t really start feeling really good mentally until I, along with my writing and promise to myself that I would never stop learning, decided to improve my physical health. Yes, reforming my previous coach potato ways were tough. I even failed at these attempts the first few times. Yet, I can tell you that after the first four months of getting as serious about my physical health as I am about my mental health, it is more than worth the work I’m putting into it. Though I am not close to making my ultimate health (and weight) goal, I am far better off physically and mentally than I was even four months ago. I personally believe the improved physical health is breathing new life into my mental health. Likewise the renewed mental health is fueling the improving physical health.

No, I don’t have more scientific evidence that mind-body, body-mind health effect each other besides the placebo effect. But I know in my own life, and experience, there is a connection. I truly am convinced of this.